Miso-Glazed Eggplant 

Get ready to create in the kitchen. This miso-glazed eggplant is soft, creamy, and full of umami flavor. The eggplant is roasted wearing a silky miso glaze hat that seeps into its crosshatch pattern, making every bite a flavor explosion. Serve it along-side some steamed rice, or udon noodles, a green salad, sauteed bok choy, tofu, or your choice of protein. This recipe is quick and easy to make, vegan, and can be made gluten free too. If you like a little spice, add some red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of chili oil to the glaze. 

Miso-glazed eggplant combines creamy, slightly sweet eggplant with the salty umami flavor of miso, making it a perfect side dish, or a standout vegetarian main. Impress your guests, with dressed up eggplant, that is sure to wow everyone.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants…regular globe, or Japanese eggplants cut into one-inch-thick rounds, and then crosshatched

• 1-2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil

• 3 tablespoons white miso

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons of honey, or sweetener of choice

• 1-2 cloves of crushed or minced garlic

• 1 tablespoons soy sauce, or for gluten-free, use tamari, or coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger—optional

• Toasted white and black sesame seeds —for garnish

• Diced green onions—for garnish

Moving On

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplant into one-inch rounds, and then cut a crosshatch pattern into each of them, making sure to not cut too deep. The crosshatch pattern will help the sauce adhere to the eggplant. 

Toss the eggplant pieces with one tablespoon of sesame or olive oil, and place onto your baking sheet, making sure to space the pieces out, so that they are not too crowded. 

Cook for 20 minutes, flipping the eggplant pieces at least once, so that they brown evenly.

While the eggplant is cooking, make the glaze. Combine the miso paste, rice wine vinegar, one tablespoon sesame oil, honey, garlic, soy sauce, or tamari, and the optional ginger into a small bowl. 

Mix thoroughly until everything is well incorporated. If it seems a little too thick, add a tablespoon of warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach a thinner spreading consistency, and then set it aside. 

The eggplant should be browning slightly by now. Remove it from the oven and paint the tops with the glaze using a spoon. For the last 3- 5 minutes of cooking, place on the top rack of the oven, and turn on the broiler, making sure to check often, so that it doesn’t burn. The extra glaze in the pan will likely burn…that’s okay, just as long as the eggplant doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven, place on a plate, and sprinkle with sesame seeds, and green onions. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

This healthy dish is delightfully satisfying, with elevated flavors that are a perfect balance between sweet, and salty. Try the glaze on different veggies too, like zucchini or portobello mushrooms. Get creative and enjoy mixing things up. You are the master of your kitchen. Wishing you good health, and good luck on all of your cooking adventures.